This invention relates to programmable logic array integrated circuits, and more particularly to programmable logic array integrated circuits having improved and more diverse interconnections between the individual logic modules.
Commonly assigned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 754,017, filed Sep. 3, 1991 (which is hereby incorporated by reference herein) shows programmable logic array integrated circuits which are highly modular. In the circuits shown in that application, very similar types of interconnection pathways are used for all types of interconnections between the logic modules. This tends to simplify the design of the circuit. It also tends to simplify the software and/or other techniques used to program the circuit to implement particular logic functions. Thus the circuits shown in the above-mentioned application have several important advantages.
There is always room for further improvement, however, and there are some situations in which the provision of additional or alternative types of interconnections between the logic modules would have benefits sufficient to justify the additional circuit and programming complexity. Such additional interconnection paths may be desirable for making frequently needed kinds of interconnections, for speeding certain kinds of interconnections, for allowing short distance connections to be made without tying up more general purpose and therefore long distance interconnection resources, etc. There is also a continuing demand for logic devices with larger capacity. This produces a need to implement logic functions more efficiently and to make better use of the portion of the device which is devoted to interconnecting individual logic modules.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide improved programmable logic array integrated circuits.
It is a more particular object of this invention to provide programmable logic array integrated circuits with additional possibilities for interconnections between the logic modules.